Method and apparatus pertaining to a placement of a radio-frequency identification tag

Abstract

An RFID tag is secured to an electrically-conductive object having an external peripheral edge where first and second non-coplanar sides of the object meet one another, wherein at least the first non-coplanar side comprises electrically-conductive material. By one approach the RFID tag is secured to the first non-coplanar side of the object at the external peripheral edge such that a first portion of the RFID tag's antenna proximally overlies an electrically-conductive portion of the first non-coplanar side of the object while a second portion of the RFID tag's antenna does not proximally overlie any electrically-conductive portion of the object. Determining the size of the first portion of the RFID tag's antenna that will overlie the first non-coplanar side of the object comprises tuning the capacitive coupling between the first portion of the RFID tag's antenna and the object to thereby achieve a desired range and/or degree of RFID tag performance.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 providing a package having an external peripheral edge where first and second non-coplanar sides of the package meet one another, wherein at least the first non-coplanar side comprises electrically-conductive material; 
 securing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag to the first non-coplanar side of the package at the external peripheral edge such that a first portion of the RFID tag's antenna overlies an electrically-conductive portion of the first non-coplanar side of the package and a second portion of the RFID tag's antenna does not overlie any electrically-conductive portion of the package, wherein the second portion of the RFID tag's antenna overlies one of: 
 the second non-coplanar side of the package; and 
 no part of the package. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the package comprises a parallelepiped. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein the parallelepiped comprises a rectangular cuboid. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein the RFID tag comprises a planar substrate that supports the antenna. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4  wherein the planar substrate is parallel to the first non-coplanar side of the package and perpendicular to the second non-coplanar side of the package. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 4  wherein the planar substrate comprises a substantially transparent material. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4  wherein the planar substrate comprises a resilient material. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining the size of the first portion of the RFID tag's antenna to overlie the first non-coplanar side of the package to thereby tune capacitive coupling between the first portion of the RFID tag's antenna and the package to achieve a desired range of performance. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein the desired range of performance comprises, at least in part, a desired range of radio frequency performance by the RFID tag. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  wherein the package includes a substantially coextensive metal liner. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein the metal liner of the package serves as a plate of a capacitor having a remaining plate that comprises the first portion of the RFID tag's antenna. 
     
     
       12. An apparatus comprising:
 a package having an external peripheral edge where first and second non-coplanar sides of the package meet one another, wherein at least the first non-coplanar side comprises electrically-conductive material; 
 a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag secured to the first non-coplanar side of the package at the external peripheral edge such that a first portion of the RFID tag's antenna overlies an electrically-conductive portion of the first non-coplanar side of the package and a second portion of the RFID tag's antenna does not overlie any electrically-conductive portion of the package, wherein the second portion of the RFID tag's antenna overlies one of: 
 the second non-coplanar side of the package; and 
 no part of the package. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the package comprises a rectangular cuboid. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the RFID tag comprises a planar substrate that supports the antenna. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the planar substrate is parallel to the first non-coplanar side of the package and perpendicular to the second non-coplanar side of the package. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the planar substrate comprises a substantially transparent material. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein the planar substrate comprises a resilient material. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the size of the first portion of the RFID tag's antenna that overlies the first non-planar side of the package is selected to tune capacitive coupling between the first portion of the RFID tag's antenna and the package to achieve a desired range of RFID tag performance. 
     
     
       19. A method comprising:
 providing an electrically-conductive object having an external peripheral edge where first and second non-coplanar sides of the object meet one another, wherein at least the first non-coplanar side comprises electrically-conductive material; 
 securing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag to the first non-coplanar side of the object at the external peripheral edge such that a first portion of the RFID tag's antenna overlies an electrically-conductive portion of the first non-coplanar side of the object and a second portion of the RFID tag's antenna does not overlie any electrically-conductive portion of the object, wherein the second portion of the RFID tag's antenna overlies one of: 
 the second non-coplanar side of the package; and 
 no part of the package. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19  wherein the object comprises one of:
 a part of a shelf; 
 a container.